Stranger Things Have Happened
by donna79
Summary: Two people who had no idea how much they needed the other find themselves by happenstance. They must fight the odds against them to find a way to be together.
1. Uncharted Territory

**Story Title: Anything Can Happen**

**Summary: Two people who had no idea how much they needed the other find each other by happenstance. They must fight the odds against them to find a way to be together.**

**Disclaimer: I under no circumstances own The Hunger Games, but it would be awesome if I did.**

**AN: This is my first stab at writing Hunger Games fanfiction so please be gentle. I love hearing from my readers and I promise to answer every one of you back unless you leave a message as a guest, I can't answer you back then but know that it still means a lot and that I appreciate it.**

Considering how much her life had changed in the last two years you would think that Katniss Everdeen would be comfortable with change. Her therapist told her on a regular basis that her life would be a lot simpler if she just let go of the reigns and let things take there course. Well, her strict regimen was paying the bills and keeping a roof over her head. Her unfailing sense of honer was also keeping the nurse who was with her mother when she couldn't employed. If she let someone else take over she wouldn't know what to do with herself.

Katniss liked to think that she had two full time jobs. Her nine to five job working as a ranger for the Department of Forestry in Knoxville and then she came home to her mom who needed constant care due to the fact that she was not only under a suicide watch for an undetermined amount of time due to trying to take her life five times in the past year but also because she was mentally unstable.

Katniss had a problem asking for help; something she had inherited from her mom. The only person she would let help her was her uncle. Much to her aunt Effie's dismay, Haymitch helped whenever and however he could.

Her family hadn't been rich by any means before her dad died in an accident at the factory where he worked nearly two years ago but the settlement and whatever other money Susan Everdeen had in the bank had gone towards Elliot and later Prim's funerals. Prim's dying had been the straw that broke her mother. Who knew that a place like Knoxville could be subjected to a school massacre? The quiet town had lost ten teenagers and four teachers before the father of one of the victims had turned the gun on himself. Susan had been living with Katniss ever since.

At twenty-four Katniss had seen more loss then most people her age and was left to carry the burden herself. She knew that Haymitch would pay to have her mom put in a hospital but she didn't want him to feel obligated to do that.

The only bright spot in her life were her two best friends, Madge Undersee and Johanna Mason. She had been friends with Madge ever since the first day of kindergarten when the usually quiet and reserved girl had stood up to Marvel and Glimmer Thompson on Katniss' behalf. Johanna had moved to town during their sophomore year of high school and the three of them had been inseparable ever since.

Katniss saw a lot of herself in Johanna, who had been adopted by her aunt and uncle when she was a teen after being abused by her dad. Madge was her voice of reason while Johanna readily added fuel to her fire when she felt strongly about some cause or another. Madge and Johanna were nothing alike other than their deep rooted friendship which no one could sever.

They had been on her about doing more for herself. They told her to find a hobby, join a bookclub, take up yoga, the suggestions never ended. Johanna had been more than a little persistent about the Adopt a Soldier program. Her mom had been in the Army up until the day she found out that she had pancreatic cancer. Hera Mason had lost her battle with cancer a few weeks shy of her daughters twelfth birthday and ever since Johanna had supported the Armed Forces any way she could. Her flat feet and scoliosis had stopped her from enlisting at eighteen but if she'd had her say she would have signed up despite her setbacks.

"Just fill out the paperwork. The worst they'll do is send you someone semi-normal who just wants to hear about what's going on back here in the states," Johanna reasoned.

"Semi-normal?" Katniss asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"They stuck me with a real charmer named Cato Nicholson. All he ever talks about is himself and how horny he is. They match you with someone who they think is compatible with your personality," she explained.

"If I wanted to do that I would hire a matchmaker."

"Why would you do that when the Armed Forces can help you out for free?"

Katniss scowled as she snatched the form from Johanna's outstretched hand. Johanna smiled triumphantly before gathering her things and leaving. Katniss spent half an hour filling out the paperwork, going over it once before placing it in an envelope. She just prayed that she didn't up with a conceited jerk like Johanna had.

XXXX

Three weeks later Katniss received a letter in the mail from the Adopt a Soldier program with the name of her new penpal along with a list of things that they liked if she ever decided to send them a care package. She dialed Johanna's number as she looked over the information.

"What's shakin' bacon?" Johanna asked when she answered on the third ring.

"I got my assigned soldier today. Is it normal for them to not send a picture?"

"It's up to the soldier. Cato sent me a half nude picture with my welcome packet. He's cute, but I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole. You can't imagine the stories he has told me. What's your soldiers name?"

"Lieutenant Peeta Mellark, he's twenty-six and originally from Sacramento California."

"Lieutenant huh? And he's only twenty-six? Dang, he moved up the ranks fast, he must be pretty good at what he does. What other information did he give you?"

"He's the son of a baker and a stay at home mom. He is on his third tour duty in three years and he has been over there for two months so far this time. He seems fairly normal, he put books and socks on his list of things I can send to him."

"That's not too bad. Cato asked for Playboys, petroleum jelly and Kleenex...Even you can guess what he does with his free time," Johanna said dryly.

Katniss was more than a little out of her element in the sex department. She'd only had two boyfriends and had only been serious about one of them. Thresh had been in her life for along for almost as long as Madge and they had dated for three years and he was a respected member of their community. He worked for the Mayor now and took his job seriously. Katniss had understood when he had ended things the year before.

She wasn't sure what to say in her letter. She wanted to give Peeta some information but not so much that it would be considered over sharing. She didn't want to lay out her dad and Prim's deaths right away either. Before she knew she had written a two page letter, which was more than she had planed on but it looked fairly safe to send.

The next morning she stopped by the post office to buy a roll of stamps and sent the letter off before heading to work. Her part of the deal was done, all she had to do was wait for Peeta to reply.

XXXX

Something hit him in the center of his forehead, making him look up. He glared at his best friend before pulling his earbuds out of his ears.

"You got some mail, I called your name like five times," the person said with a smirk.

"You could have sat it on my desk."

"What would have been in that? Who's Katniss Everdeen?"

"They are my penpal from the States."

The person nodded before putting their feet on Peeta's desk. Peeta gave him a warning look and the person shrugged.

"Look Finn, if you want to talk can it wait? I'm a little busy," he said with a sigh.

"Can I read your letter?" he asked randomly.

"No!" Peeta answered with a short laugh.

"Prude," Finn muttered.

"I am not, I have no idea what this person has to say and I would like to read my own mail before you get your grubby hands on it."

Finn rolled his eyes, not seeing the big deal. He read his letters from his wife, Annie aloud all the time. Granted, Annie never took things too far unless they were on the phone but Peeta enjoyed her letters.

Finn got the hint the that Peeta wasn't in the mood to talk and left. Peeta looked up from the file he was going over and his eyes moved to the letter. Did he really want to read it? What had he been thinking when he had signed up for the program? He had only signed up as a show of solidarity so that rest of his regiment would sign up. So far he was only one who had been matched. How messed up could this woman be if she had been matched with him?

He picked up the letter, turning it over in his hand before sliding a finger under the seal. Along with the letter Katniss had sent him a couple pictures. He pulled them out and found a post card with a picture of the beach on the front. 'So you don't forget where you came from' was scrawled across the back. He smiled before looking at the picture of a forest in all it's glory. Tall trees with luscious green foliage with the sun shining down through the trees. 'This is my favorite place' was written on the back. He pulled out the letter, setting back against his chair.

_Dear Lieutenant Mellark,_

_I have no idea what I should say to you, I'm not the most talkative person face to face but I think this will be easier since there is very little chance that we will ever meet. So I want you to feel free to tell me anything and I promise that I will never tell a soul. I thought that since this is our first letter than we could play a game of twenty questions to get to know each other, only I will be answering the questions._

_1. Full name: Katniss Regina Everdeen_

_2. Hair and eye color: My hair changes in the summer from dark brown to auburn, it comes from being outside so much for my job as a park ranger and I have grey eyes._

_3. Birthday and place of birth: March 9th and I was born in Millington, Tennessee. Fun little fact: Justin Timberlake was also born there._

_4. Favorite food: I would slice someone's throat over the last cheese bun in my local bakery. They are addictive._

_5. Drink of choice: Cherry Coke_

_6. Favorite movie: Walk the Line, my dad had a small role in the movie and I got to meet Reese Witherspoon who I totally have a girl crush on._

_7. Favorite book: My copy of The Client by John Grisham which my best friend Johanna finagled John Grisham himself into autographing is my most prized possession._

_8. Favorite movie: Water for Elephants, which is my second favorite book. I have a thing for movies that are based on books._

_9. Guilty pleasure: The TV show Under the Dome. I haven't missed an episode and I can't wait to find out what happens next._

_10. The chore that I will do anything to get out of doing: Cleaning bathrooms, there are just some things that I don't need to know about my best friend Johanna which I now know after cleaning up after her one drunken night._

_11. Favorite candy: Junior Mints, dumped over a bowl of fresh from the microwave popcorn._

_12. Favorite Quote: Well, your Ken can kiss my Barbie, followed closely by That's how we roll in the Shire. Both are from the show Big Bang Theory. I love that show almost as much as Under the Dome._

_13. Last time I wrote a letter: When I was in college because my mom prefers hand written letters over e-mail._

_14. Favorite type of music: You would think that it would be country because of where I live but I'm not that crazy about it. I was raised on standards and jazz. My favorite artist is Michael Buble._

_15. Most weird or annoying habit: I sing in the shower, I'm one of those people that uses my spray nozzle as a microphone, yes I am._

_16. Facebook or Twitter: I'm a Facebook girl, I have an Twitter account but I've only posted one thing since I opened my account. I don't even remember my user name or password._

_17. My best friend: Other than Johanna who I've mentioned I have been best friends with my other best friend since kindergarten and her name is Madge. She's the yin to my yang. Johanna is like that little devil on my shoulder always asking me 'what's the worst that could happen?' and I usually end up dragging her down with me._

_18: Favorite Song: Virginia Bluebell by Miranda Lambert. Now, I know that I said that I wasn't crazy about country music, but there are some country artists that I do like. Miranda is one of them._

_19. Farthest I've ever been from Knoxville: I spent my summers as a kid in Kentucky where my dad is originally from. You can think of another question for this one if you want since I already know how far you've been away from home._

_20: What I do in my spare time: You'd think since I'm a park ranger that I would dislike the hurting of animals but for some of us here hunting season is when we get most of our food for the year. I prefer a bow over a gun and my dad taught me how to shoot when I was five._

_I hope that I haven't scared you off or given you more information than you wanted to know. Madge tells me that I tend to over share more often than not. _

_Katniss_

Peeta slipped the letter back in it's envelope with a smile. Katniss seemed normal by his standards. He had never had problems talking to people but he had been apprehensive about starting correspondence with Katniss since it wouldn't be face to face. Her questions had been safe but that was only because they didn't know each other, things would be easier as they progressed. He was now happy that he decided to sign up for the program because he had someone to talk to who had nothing to do with this part of his life.


	2. A Day in the Life of a Soldier

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Huger Games. Technically I only own the second movie, but I have the first one on my DVR, does that count? It doesn't? Darn it!**

**AN: I want to say thank you to everyone who has given this story a chance. Even if you only read the first chapter but chose not to leave a review and to those of you who are following this and have added it to your favorites...I say thank you to each and every one of you.**

Peeta Mellark would always be known as a guy who was an eternal optimist, just ask anyone who knew him. It didn't matter that he had been through a horrible, terrible ordeal during the first half of his life; he was always looking forward, never looking back. It had taken his dad a lot of courage to take Peeta and walk away. He didn't remember as much about their mother as Rye and Bran because he was so much younger than them. Ansel Mellark told anyone who would listen that his youngest son was a ray of light for people who had fallen on troubled times.

Peeta lead by example and his troops trusted him and came to him with their problems knowing that he would always listen, even if he didn't have advice for them. His upbeat, can do attitude and unwavering sense of duty had helped him climb the ranks of his job and had earned him a medal of honor for rescuing a family from a war zone. He was the type of person who when he talked, people listened and he had a work ethic like none of his superior officers had ever seen.

Making friends had always come easily to Peeta but because of his past he was fickle of who he let see him for who he really was. His mother had ruined his father's outlook on love and broken his spirit by choosing alcohol over her family. Noel Mellark hadn't been shy about talking about her alcohol addiction or the effects it had on her family. Ansel had taken the brunt of her abuse, choosing to bring the boys to his bakery as soon as they were old enough to understand that they were not to touch the equipment until they learned how to operate it. Peeta had been Noel's favorite target because he looked so much like his father. The breaking point in their marriage had been when Bran had discovered the bruises on Peeta's back and cigarette burns on the back of his thighs.

Noel had refused treatment so Ansel had taken Peeta and they lived in the apartment above the bakery, Ansel still lived there now. Peeta's father had given up so much so that his boys could have the futures they had wanted. After business school Rye had come back to the bakery and was co-owner along with their dad. Bran had chosen to become a lawyer and handled all the business contracts that his dad dealt with along with dealing with Noel. She had tried to suck Ansel dry after the divorce and he would have given her anything she wanted just o have her out of their lives until his oldest son had stepped in.

Peeta hadn't considered making a career out of the Military but he still had a few tours left before he would consider retiring. Once he did retire it had been decided that Ansel would step down and Peeta would take his place as manager of the bakery and he would take his rightful place in the family business. Peeta had been the one who had excelled at baking and designing the cakes and bread that they were known for. Bran and Rye had never wanted to be a part of that side of the business; even though they had both worked the front of the bakery as teenagers, just as Peeta had.

Peeta talked to his brothers as much as he could on Skype and e-mailed them daily but that wasn't enough for his dad. Ansel required Peeta to call him daily, just to let him know that he was okay and that he was safe. His Facebook page was updated daily so that he had at least a little bit of normalcy and so that he could keep in contact with his friends back home.

Peeta and Finnick were almost identical personality wise, almost being the key word. They had met during basic training when they were eighteen and had been best friends ever since. Finnick's frankness and dirty sense of humor kept Peeta on his toes. Luck had been on their side when they were both assigned to the same regiment and the two of them had been fighting side by side ever since. Peeta had been Finnick's best man when he had gotten married just before leaving on their last tour. Annie was a saint but was taking Finnick's absence harder now that she was pregnant with their first child.

Peeta and Gale had very little in common besides their troubled pasts. Gale's father had died in an accident caused by a drunk driver when Gale was only ten, leaving Gale's mother, Hazel to raise Gale and his three younger siblings, Rory, Vic and Posey on her own until Gale was old enough to contribute to the family financially. Gale sent half of his pay home to his mother every month even now. Gale had been Peeta and Finnick's ranking officer during basic training but had opted to not be promoted until Peeta and Finnick were able to.

Gale was one that Peeta told his problems to because Finnick would never understand, his life had been nearly perfect growing up and he couldn't imagine someone not having both parents around to raise them.

There were nights when Peeta didn't go to bed until after midnight only to get a few hours of sleep. His job was never done because there was always someone who needed him for something or other. He had never been much of a coffee drinker and tea didn't appeal to him either. Rye and Bran kept him in Redbull and Five Hour Energy shots when he couldn't get his caffeine fix in any other way.

Even with all the craziness that went on in his everyday life Peeta was proud of his service for his country and was happy to make his dad proud as a way of repaying him for all the things that he had done for him. It was time that the Mellark boys gave back everything that their father had sacrificed for them.

XXXX

Peeta sat at his desk, pen poised over paper, contemplating just how much he should tell Katniss. She hadn't offered up much personal information but that was understandable. He would mention his family, short of bringing up his mother; he didn't want to scare Katniss off with his first letter. Someone knocked lightly on his door and he lifted his head slowly. Gale's smiled reached his kind but tired grey eyes.

"What are you still doing here? Don't you have kitchen duty in the morning?" Peeta asked him.

"I'm heading to bed now. I saw your light on and was wondering if you needed help with anything."

"You can't help me with this, man. Thanks anyway."

"Where'd you get this?" Gale asked, picking up the postcard of California which Peeta had put in a frame.

"My penpal sent it to me. I'm trying to write to her back now."

"What's she like?"

"I don't really know yet. She seems normal enough; a little on the quirky side, I guess."

"Call me if you need me," Gale said with a slow nod before pushing away from the door.

Peeta looked back to the blank sheet of paper, gathering his nerve. He handled things harder than this on a daily basis. He needed to man up and just write already.

XXXX

Katniss dug her keys out of her bag as she waited for her turn at the wall of mailboxes. The elderly woman in front of her lived a few doors down from and her and she was having troubled with a package that the mailman had wedged into her box.

"I can get it for you Misses Kloffman," Katniss offered, knowing that if she didn't help the woman she would have to pay Delly even more overtime than she already was.

"Thank you Katniss. How you are today?"

"I'm just fine," Katniss said with a polite smile.

"And Mira?"

"My mom's the same. She doesn't say much."

"I'll come by and see her this weekend."

"She would love that," Katniss said with a kind smile.

Katniss stood in front of her box and inserted her key into the lock. 'No bills, no bills, no bills' she chanted to herself. Since she and her mom had lost their house because Katniss couldn't keep up with the rent they'd had to move less than a week after she'd sent her letter to Peeta. It had been three weeks since and so far she hadn't heard anything from him.

She found a letter post marked Afghanistan with a yellow address label over her old address halfway through the stack which thankfully was only junk mail and the newest editions of Better Homes and Gardens (for her mom) and Glamour (a subscription that Johanna paid for every year, for her). As soon as she opened her door she could somehow sense that Mira had had a rough day. Delly sat on the couch, her hands folded in her lap and her blond hair was falling out of it's ponytail.

"What happened?" Katniss asked, bracing herself for whatever Delly said.

"She refused to eat lunch again today and then when I was helping her into the bathtub she slipped on the mat and nearly fell, I on the other hand took the shower door head on and lost: It clipped the small of my back," she said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry that she's being so unreasonable. I promise that I will talk to her and that I'll get a nonslip mat for the shower this weekend."

"Have you been trying to get her to talk?"

"Everyday. I talk to her until my voice is raw most nights."

"There's not much else that you can do then. I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early."

"Thanks for understanding that I was late...again."

"Don't worry, Katniss. What are friends for?"

Delly put a gentle hand on Katniss' shoulder as she passed her to walk out the door. Katniss shut the door behind her with a sigh before sitting the mail on the table by the door. She walked through the small sitting area to her mother's room to find her sitting in her rocker by the window, looking out.

"Hey, Momma," Katniss said gently.

Mira looked up, not quiet meeting Katniss' eyes at first, but after a few seconds she smiled slightly.

"You ready to eat? I can make spaghetti, we've got some of those meatballs that you like," Katniss offered.

Mira nodded, her head barely moving before turning her attention back to outside. Katniss started dinner then went back to the front room to grab her letter from Peeta. She sat on the couch with a soda and opened the letter. It wasn't very long, only two and a half pages, but would it give her an idea about who he was? She would have to read it to find out.

_Katniss,_

_I agree that we should be open and honest with each other, it goes both ways so if there is anything that you ever want to tell me you can trust that it won't go farther than me. I also liked the idea of playing twenty questions as a way to get to know each other. Most of the questions are the same, but I threw a few of mine own in, I hope that you don't mind. There isn't much to do here to pass the time other than sleep, clean my already clean gun and haggle my way out of latrine duty whenever possible when I am not working. You aren't the only one who has a problem cleaning bathrooms. Try cleaning toilets with a toothbrush; talk about disgusting. I get the heebie geebies just thinking about it._

_1. Full name: Peeta Jonathan Mellark_

_2. What I look like: I have sandy blond hair and blue eyes._

_3. Birthday and place of birth: My birthday is July third and I am originally from Laguna Beach California. My family still lives there._

_ Food: I can never say no to pizza. My favorite toppings are pepperoni, mushrooms and onions. Here's a fun fact for you: My family owns a bakery and I worked there from the time I was twelve until the day I enlisted in the army. Our cheese buns are pretty great, I have to say._

_5. Why I joined the Army: My dad was an Army brat growing up and he did a tour of duty during Desert Storm before taking a bullet to his calf. He never mentioned it to my brothers or I growing up but I knew that he hoped that at least one of us would follow in his footsteps. I love what I do but it helps that he's proud of me too._

_6. Favorite movie: The Fugitive. I can recite Tommy Lee Jones monologue when they start the search party for Harrison Ford by heart. That's how many times I have seen it._

_7. Favorite book: To Kill a Mocking Bird. I read it in high school as required reading and have probably read it six times since then. My dad has always reminded me of Atticus Finch._

_8. Favorite movie: The Star Wars movies. I can't choose just one. Can you tell that I'm a Harrison Ford fan?_

_9. Siblings: I have two brothers Rye (Ryan) and Bran (Brandon) they shortened their names out of solidarity so that I didn't look like a total tool for being the only one named after a type of bread intentionally. They're both older than me._

_10. Favorite TV show: You and I have the same taste in TV shows. I watch Big Bang Theory whenever I get a chance and my best friend found your letter and vouched for how awesome Under the Dome is. I__ spent three days stuck inside due to a dust storm last week and watched every episode from the first season and the few from this season so far._

_11. Favorite candy: I am a huge chocolate and peanut butter fan. Anything that combines them doesn't last long when I'm around._

_12. Favorite Quote: One of my best friends, Finnick (not the one who found your letter btw) cracks me up. Case in point: A three legged dog walks into a saloon, hobbles up to the bartender and says, 'I'm looking for the man who shot my paw.' He's got something to say about everything...which can be annoying at times._

_13. Two of my favorite memories from my childhood: My dad has always made a big deal out of birthdays and since mine is the day before the Fourth of July we always had fireworks on my birthday. One year he took my brothers and I to Disneyland for the Christmas Parade and I can remember sitting on his shoulders because I was still small enough that I couldn't see over the people in front of us._

_14. Most played song on my iPod: Secrets by OneRepublic. I like Ryan Tedder as an artist and I think that he's a genius when it comes to song writing._

_15. Most annoying or weird habit: I bite fingernails and spit them out, one time my best friend Gale got hit with a thumb nail in the eye. (He is the one who found your letter and your secrets are safe with him. I have since found another hiding place for my personal mail) _

_16. Facebook or Twitter: I try to go on Facebook at least once a day. It's easier to keep in touch with my family and friends back home that way._

_17. Best Friends: I've already mentioned them but I'll give you some information about them. Finnick is very direct and isn't afraid to go after what he wants. We've been best friends since they day we met in boot camp eight years ago and we somehow managed to get assigned to the same regiment. He keeps me grounded and keeps me from missing home too much. Gale is stubborn and set in his ways and doesn't take well to change. He's a great guy once you get to know him but it takes a while to break through the walls he has up. I can't imagine what I would do without them._

_18. Favorite Song: Believe it or not it isn't by OneRepublic and Ryan Tedder didn't write it. My favorite song is We are the Champions by Queen._

_19. The Place I go to get some peace and quiet: My office. It's not very big, all that can fit in it is my desk, my chair and a very skinny file cabinet but when I shut the door everyone knows to give me a few minutes because I need time to myself. No one is allowed to bother me when my door is shut unless it is of the utmost importance._

_20. What I do in my spare time: I wake up early on Saturday and Sunday mornings and I bake. When I say early I mean I am up at four and have made three different kinds of bread, at least three dozen muffins and God knows how many dozen cookies by the time everyone comes in for breakfast. Once you've worked the hours of a baker, it's like your internal alarm clock says that it's time to get up and won't let you go back to sleep._

_I do want to mention one thing before I close this letter: You don't need to call me __Lieutenant Mellark. You can call me Peeta as long as you're okay with me calling you Katniss._

_Peeta_

_PS: It's easiest to get in touch with me by e-mail so I'll give you my e-mail address and phone number. I'm not always able to answer my phone but if you leave a voicemail I'll get back to you when I can. Also, thank you for the pictures. Your woods look almost as beautiful as the patch of beach right outside the bakery's back door that I like to call my thinking spot._

Katniss set the letter on the table with a smile. Peeta was perfectly normal, he was funny and she got the impression that he was charismatic. He had a way with words and she had a feeling that they would become friends. Her phone chipred letting her know that she had a Facebook notice. She slid a finger across the screen while taking a swig from her soda. 'Finnick Odair would like to be friends with you' the message read. Finnick, Peeta's friend Finnick? What would he want to be friends with her for? She'd accept the friend request and decided stay friends with him long enough to question him and get his answer back before deleting him.

She accepted his request and nearly choked on her drink. Holy God's and Goddesses he was hot and also married from what his profile claimed. She sent him a private message and forgot about it until later when she was cleaning the kitchen and her phone chirped once more.

_Do you have a death wish or something? I could be a serial killer._

_You don't need to worry about Peeta finding out since your account is set to private. I just wanted to get to know the girl that my best friend is writing to. He's had enough psycho's in his life and he doesn't need another. Btw, a serial killer would never admit to being one. Unless you're Jeffrey Dahmer or Charles Manson, which I doubt that you are._

That little shit, he was a master manipulator.

_Okay, but I thought that Peeta wasn't supposed to know what I looked like unless he asks._

_He never goes on my Facebook page and I never go on his. We see each other every day and we do all of our talking then. Plus, since your page is private he'll never see what you look like. I'll tell him that I reached out to you first. Come on, you're going to turn down someone who's trying to get to know you?_

Damn, it! He'd caught onto her again. What was this guys problem? Fine, as long as Peeta was okay with it she'd be friends with him. She stared at Finnick's picture, taking in his sun kissed golden hair and blue eyes. He did look rather good in his t-shirt and track pants...This guy was married, she shouldn't be thinking of him like that, good Lord.

_Fine, as long as you tell Peeta that you sought me out, not the other way around._

_I'll talk to him first thing tomorrow. Thank you for understanding, Katniss._

Like he had given her much choice. She put her phone in sleep mode, deciding to check on her mother. Mira had gotten into her pajamas and was reading in bed when Katniss came into the room. She kissed her mother's forehead after saying goodnight. Katniss decided to call it a night and headed to her room, turning on the TV while she changed. Half an hour later the TV was off and she was asleep, all of her worries from the day forgotten.


End file.
